Yōsuke tried to enter Konoha, but was stopped by the two shinobi guarding the gate.
"Please present your pass for entering Konoha!"
It had been a year since the Battle of Kikyo Mountain—the decisive battle that ended the Third Great Ninja War.
The peace gained over that year had not come easily, so unfamiliar faces from outside the village naturally had to undergo inspection before being allowed in.
Asuma stepped forward and said, "I'll take him to registration. Yōsuke is a samurai from the Land of Iron. His chakra levels are pitifully low, and he can't use any ninjutsu. There's no way he could be a spy from another village."
Seeing that it was Asuma—son of the Third Hokage and a jōnin of Konoha—the two guards nodded and stepped aside to let Yōsuke through.
Asuma brought Yōsuke to the Analysis Department. Though the war had ended not long ago, everyone was still on high alert, and all proper procedures had to be followed.
Under the inspection of a sensory-nin, Yōsuke was checked for any sealing formulas inside his body. His chakra reserves were found to be even lower than that of a regular Konoha genin, and he was officially judged to be a non-shinobi.
Yōsuke obtained his pass without issue, granting him free entry and exit from Konoha.
Asuma, however, had to part ways with him temporarily. Because he had been delayed for several days, he needed to head back to the Hokage Building to file his report.
"Yōsuke, go explore Konoha for now. Once I finish my business, I'll come find you."
"Alright, go ahead."
Yōsuke actually felt a faint sense of anticipation—after the torment he had been put through by Asuma these past few days, he needed a break.
After Asuma left, Yōsuke began his tour of Konoha.
Lifting his head, the first thing he saw was the magnificent Hokage Rock. Three faces were completed, and the fourth had only a rough outline. As expected, it would be the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Yōsuke stopped in front of a bookstore. A long line had formed at the entrance even before opening.
He asked the man beside him, "Excuse me—what is this bookstore selling? Why is there a line before it even opens?"
The man gave Yōsuke a lecherous grin. "We're all men here—drop the act. Get in line. If you're late, you won't get a copy."
Yōsuke originally had no intention of lining up, but the moment the door opened, the crowd erupted with excitement. The atmosphere swept him up, and before he realized it, he was queuing as well.
Perhaps humans are simply drawn to crowds.
Three hours passed before he noticed. Yōsuke now regretted everything. He had no idea what book they were even selling, yet he had wasted so much time. But after waiting so long, he'd feel annoyed abandoning the line now.
Fortunately, it was finally his turn.
"Customer, Jiraiya's newly released Icha Icha Paradise set—total is 1,000 ryō."
Yōsuke opened one of the books, and his face instantly darkened. The contents were utterly indecent.
He had waited hours—for this?
As he hesitated, the people behind him urged impatiently, "Hurry up! There are more people waiting!"
Yōsuke could only pull out his purse. Just as he was about to hand over the money, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention—a dusty, torn poster covered in cobwebs, but still readable.
[Tale of the Steadfast Ninja]
[For the goal in his heart, he overcomes hardship after hardship with unwavering resolve. This—this is Naruto!]
The name on the poster made Yōsuke pause. It matched exactly what the Sage of Six Paths had told him—the Child of Prophecy, Uzumaki Naruto.
Though he wasn't sure if it was related, he still bought the book.
Walking down the street, Yōsuke flipped through Tale of the Steadfast Ninja. The story was extremely cliché. The protagonist, Naruto, fought to maintain peace, stopped wars again and again, and overcame all dangers through sheer determination—an inspirational hot-blooded novel.
Yet cliché as it was, Yōsuke found himself fully absorbed. It was at least far better than the indecent Icha Icha books.
Just as he was immersed in reading, he brushed past someone.
Yōsuke stopped, his expression turning serious, and turned around.
A female ninja with long bright-red hair and a shinobi outfit had also turned around at the same time, staring directly at him.
Yōsuke sensed an evil, hateful, powerful force inside her body.
And the red-haired kunoichi sensed a different yet similarly ominous aura from him—one belonging to the Demon King.
The red-haired kunoichi suddenly swung her fist at Yōsuke.
Yōsuke stepped back, and her punch missed, blasting a massive crater into the ground.
The sudden battle caused panic. Nearby civilians screamed and fled.
The kunoichi relentlessly formed hand seals and whispered, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Dozens of identical clones appeared, surrounding Yōsuke.
Yōsuke frowned. Every clone was a solid entity.
Despite being a woman, her fighting style was more aggressive than most men.
Countless powerful punches came flying at him.
Struck without reason, Yōsuke felt irritation rising. He drew the Ame-no-Murakumo sword.
"Sun—First Form: Flame Dance!"
Flames spiraled around the blade as Yōsuke twisted his body, unleashing a sweeping arc that destroyed all the surrounding clones.
When the sword left its sheath, the red-haired kunoichi sensed an intense ominous aura and looked as though something had been confirmed.
But when she saw the warm, radiant flames wrapped around the blade—so different from the evil power she sensed—she was stunned.
"Hmph. Must be camouflage! I won't let you harm Konoha!"
She clasped her hands together and shouted:
"Sealing Technique: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Several chakra chains erupted from her back, shooting toward Yōsuke.
Yōsuke's expression hardened. Despite this woman being weaker than him overall, the chains behind her carried a dangerous pressure.
"So this is a sealing technique…"
He didn't dare underestimate it. He swung his sword again.
"Sun Breathing—Third Form: Raging Sun Mirror!"
His symmetrical slashes severed the approaching chains.
But the chains regenerated instantly and lunged again, and the red-haired kunoichi herself charged in with another punch.
Yōsuke's right hand sliced through the chains, while his left hand clenched into a fist and collided with hers.
A sickening crunch echoed as bones fractured.
Yōsuke's left hand bent at unnatural angles—yet healed completely a moment later.
The red-haired kunoichi's hand was also broken, but red chakra surged forth, instantly restoring her bones.
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